22 Exciting Ways To Cook With Chia Seeds
No need to be scared of these bad boys. Because really, they're food's perfect accessory.
1. Glazed Peanut Butter and Jelly Doughnuts with Strawberry-Rhubarb Chia Jelly
PB&J 4 EVER. They make being a good couple seem so easy. Recipe here.
2. Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding
Of course you have this pudding for breakfast! Recipe here.
3. Quinoa Salad with Feta and Chia Seeds
Quinoa and chia seeds are a total power couple. Find the recipe for this refreshing salad here.
4. Chia Seed Pancakes
If you're gonna do pancakes, you might as well try to make 'em a lil healthy! Recipe here.
5. Seed and Nut Bread
This bread can, and will, handle anything you want to throw at it. It's a super bread! Recipe here.
6. Delicious Vegan Chili
Chia seeds are the ~ secret ~ ingredient for this recipe, because they secretly bulk up the sauce. Mmm, mmm.
7. Gourmet Pizza with Cauliflower Base
Yeah, you read that right. EVEN IN PIZZA CRUST. You can do anything! Recipe here.
8. Mini Morning Egg Bites
There is so much goodness going on in these lil egg bites. Take 'em on your morning commute, or maybe even have them as brinner (breakfast for dinner, obvs). Recipe here.
9. Chocolate Chip Banana Oat Waffles
This recipe satisfies your sweet tooth in the morning while still being chock-full of nutrition.
10. Spinach, Kiwi, and Chia Seed Smoothie
Adding chia seeds into smoothies is a really easy way to get 'em in your tummy. Recipe here.
11. Rosemary Almond Crackers (Two Ways)
Who knew there were basically, like, four ingredients needed to make crackers?
12. Cherry Limeade Chia Fresca
An extremely delicious way to stay refreshed during any summer heat. You let the chia seeds soak up all the cherry lime-y goodness to get all good and gel-y. Recipe here.
13. Vegan Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
The recipe states you can subsitute chia seeds for the poppy seeds, which makes this vegan, decadent recipe even better.
14. Gluten-Free Coconut Carrot Bread
Carrots and coconut, together at last. Recipe here.
15. Apricot Banana Energy Bars
For a tasty and healthy on-the-go breakfast! Recipe here.
16. Quinoa Patties with Eggs and Spinach Pesto
Were you looking for an amazing and protein-packed way to start your day? Look no further! Recipe here.
17. Chia Surprise Muffins
This surprise is...jam on the inside of the baked muffin! Genius. Recipe here.
18. Chia Teff Salad with Lemon Scallion Dressing
This salad might use a gluten-free grain you've never heard of, but it all comes together for a refreshing summer dish.
19. Roasted Chia Cauliflower
Crunch + health = YUM! Recipe here.
20. Magical Blueberry Vanilla Chia Seed Jam
Making your own jam is already pretty easy, so why not throw some chia seeds in the mix? Recipe here.
21. Oatmeal Chia Berry Crisp
Eat it for breakfast or dessert, and you'll be so very happy you did. Recipe over here.
22. 3-Minute Vegan Maple Oatmeal Cookie
Mixing ground chia (or flax) seeds with water creates an easy egg substitute. Also, this recipe takes THREE minutes to make, so you have no excuse not to try it out!
So, what do chia seeds actually do for you?
• Chia belonged to the diets of the Mayans and the Aztecs; in fact, "chia" got its name from the Mayan word for "strength."
• There are nearly 11 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein per each 1-ounce serving. (That's about 42% of your recommended daily intake of fiber, which is poop-er important.)
• The powerful seed also has a ton of the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids; this is good, because we cannot produce them on our own, and they help keep us pretty.
• An ounce of chia seeds also contains about 18% of your recommended daily calcium intake. This is three times more than a serving of skim milk would give you!